Rooster and Begonia Leaf: a Cartographic Aspect of the Dispute Regarding the Taiwan Issue

The article studies the cartographic aspect of the controversy around the Taiwan issue. The author presents a retrospective analysis of the cartographic discourse of Taipei and Beijing in regards to the political status of Taiwan from 1949 to the present day. The article covers the reactions of Taipei and Beijing to the precedents of «cartographic aggression» associated with incorrect depiction of China's borders by foreign states. The author concludes that cartography has always been an important aspect of the political confrontation across the Taiwan Strait. Taipei and Beijing used geographical maps as a tool of domestic and foreign propaganda. The depiction of Taiwan on maps issued by Taipei and Beijing reflects the official positions of both administrations regarding the Taiwan issue, and has a deep ideological significance aimed at shaping the international image of the PRC and Taiwan (province of China). The symbols used to describe the country's territorial borders (i.e. the metaphors of a rooster and a begonia leaf) present a great interest for studies of Chinese political discourse. In the domestic propaganda of the PRC and the ROC, geographical maps were intended to promote certain narratives according to the official position of the authorities, influence public perception of Taiwan's status, and contribute to the formation of national identity. While the representation of Taiwan in PRC cartography remained unchanged since 1949, Taiwan's cartographic discourse underwent a fundamental transformation due to the change of Taipei's official paradigm and the gradual formation of a distinct national identity on the island.